Foot supports, sometimes known as foot-beds or insoles, are known to have various configurations which are designed for different needs. Foot supports can be used to lessen or eliminate foot abnormalities, such as excessive pronation or supination and to better support the feet during certain activities such as sports activities, for example skiing, running, bushwalking, tennis, football etc. Some foot supports are of a very simple construction and are used simply to provide enhanced cushioning for the sole of a foot rather than actual support. Such foot supports can be made of any suitable cushioning material, such as foams or rubbers.
Other foot supports are known to provide more than simply a cushioning effect, and such supports are intended to actually support the skeletal and/or muscular structure of certain parts of the foot. Supports of this kind can be moulded into a desired shape by suitable mouldable materials, such as foams, plastics and rubbers, once the characteristics of the required support have been determined. The shape of the moulded support may provide foot support in various forms, such as for the various arches of the foot, for the heel, or for the sides of the foot. Also, such foot supports may compensate for variations between a pair of feet or legs, such as for small differences in feet or leg size or length.
Foot supports can be manufactured on a mass production basis in shapes that are designed to compensate for very common problems which occur because of inadequate foot support. Such foot supports are successfully used by the proportion of the population that has otherwise "normal" feet, but who commence a particular activity that throws an abnormal strain on the feet. Skiing is one such activity in which persons having otherwise healthy and normal feet, can in general, successfully adopt "off-the-shelf" foot supports. These supports however, often lack the specific support needed by persons having more complicated support requirements.
Some more customised foot supports can be moulded about the foot, or from an impression taken from the foot, so as to accurately trace the contours of the foot. That moulded surface may then be applied to a base which positions the support correctly within the shoe and orientates the moulded surface so that the desired foot support is properly located.
One disadvantage with foot supports in general, is that the cheaper supports which can be purchased off-the-shelf, such as in supermarkets or pharmacies, typically provide little more than cushioning or impact absorption, while the more expensive supports which actually provide a supporting function, normally need to be fitted by a specialist, thus requiring the inconvenience of an appointment for fitting.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a foot support which has a supporting function rather than just a cushioning function. It is a further preferred object of the invention that a foot support be provided which readily adjusts to the form of a foot without the need for qualified fitting and which can be adjusted by the person using the support.